Labor is accusing the federal government of allowing multinational firms to evade tax at the expense of helping pensioners, students and the sick.

The coalition is returning $1.1 billion in revenue to big business by delaying or bypassing company tax changes Labor made in the last budget, the opposition says.

Those dollars could have been used to avoid unpopular budget changes for pensioners – from cutting concession cards or the seniors supplement, or the sick – by reversing the increase in the cost of PBS medicines.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will tell a welfare sector conference in Brisbane on Thursday the coalition’s budget is putting big business ahead of individuals.

He will accuse the government of re-opening loopholes to minimise corporate tax payments.

“This lax approach to tax evasion is especially galling at a time when the government is making cruel and unfair cuts to our pensioners, our schools and our hospitals,” he will say.